The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-12-01
A BOY SPY I'm DIXIE.
fContinued from Ist page.l

day, and heard their talk but we all know
that they got over this notion bravely, and
were glad enough to scratch dirt often and
get down behind it with their guns, too,
before the war closed.
There were numerous Notifications, earth
works and masked batteries to be seen that
day, too. And when got onto the battlefield
of Bull Run, what disgusting smell filled
the air-the very atmosphere seemed to be
thick and heavy with the odOr of half
buried and half-burned horses and mules,
the bones of which were TO be seen in many
places covered with carriOn crows, which
would fly off and make their ugly noises, as
they hOyered about, in way to make the
heart sick. You all know how we used to
bury the dead artillery and cavalry horses
by simply piling few fence-rails over the
bodies, and then setting fire to the pile ride
off and leave the Goals of the fire baking
the carcass. Whewi the smell of those half
burned old horses sticks in my nostrils even
after % years.
have not much to say of the many poor
fellows whose toes were to be seen above
ground, and now and then piece of blue
cloth showed through the thin covering of
earth, and one hand laid above the grave,
from which the fingers had been actually
rotted or eaten off. It's an ugly subject to
write or think about now, and / dismiss it
from my mind with the same feeling of dis
gust and sickness that / experienced that
day / walked along the fields and fences in
August, 81, under the pretense of looking
for sick cOmrade, whom pretended might
have died at some of the hospitals or private
houses in that direction. There were plenty
of civilian visitors beside myself who werg
readily granted the privilege of going ovo
the battlefield; their army friends were glad
of an opportunity to escort them, so it was
not thought at all out of the way for me to
be prowling about there alone in search of q
sick or perhaps a dead friend. In this way
/ got beyond the field without any trouble,
and as far as the railroad, to the station,
from which road leads up to Fairfax Court
house
Here / began to encounter some difficult
ties in the way of guards and sentries which
were placed about the railroad bridges and
at the crossroads. Their purpose was as a
general thing, imagined, to prevent their
own soldiers from roaming or struggling
about too much
knew that the railroad track would lead
me in the most direct route to Alexandria,
and soon TO our army on that line; but
understood also that it would be more care
fully patrolled and guarded than were the
country roads, and for this reason i preferred
the woods TO make
MY FINAL DASH FOR LIBERTY
and the Union and home
The critical moments in spy's life come
just after successfully passing beyond one
line and before reaching the other. Then
occurs the time when capture means his
sure detection either as q deserter or a spy,
with its terrible punishment; and il is ex-
tremely difficult TO tell from appearances
whether those you meet are the friends you
hope to find or the enemies you desire to
leave behind.
had Travelled openly and boldly all day
through the rebel army, carrying inside the
lining of my cap the official papers l wished
TO get through. had placed them in my
hat because / calculated that in case of a
pursuit and probable capture might be able
accidentally to " lose" my hat in a way that
would not attract any particular attention,
and search Of the regulation place for n spy
to carry papers-in the shoes-would reveal
nothing to implicate me- Evening was rap
idly coming on, but continued boldly right
along TO the front, and about dark i reached
little house sitting back from the road,
where / applied for supper and lodging
There were several soldiers about the yard,
and two officers were inside of the house, as /
Judged from their horses being tied in the
barnyard. An old bushwhacker, who was
the proprietor, and to whom addressed my
self, said that he couldn't keep me, as these
officers had engaged the only accommoda-
tions he had. Turning to the officers / ex-
planned in plausible manner that had
been hunting all day for sick cOmrade,
who had been left mt a private house; that
was unable TO find him; his name and regi-
ment l was then able to furnish, knowing
very well from their distance back, where l
had located them, these men would not de-
tect me; and as was too tired and sick to
20 back that night, / must rest till morning,
and would take a bed in the barn. l show
ed my request for pass, across the face of
which had carefully indorsed in bold hand
writing, in red ink, before leaving the Of
flee, the official words, Approved. L. CHS
holm, A. DC"
That was clear case Of forgery to be sure,
but desperate cases require desperate RENE
dies.
The officers, luckily for me, were easily
impressed by an Endorsement, especially as
it was written across the face Of the papers
in red ink, and without any further ques-
tion / was invited TO sit down while warm
supper was being prepared for us all.
gathered from these men that the rebel
outposts were still some distance out; their
own regiment was on this picket duty, and
their presence at the house was explained
by the sickness of the younger of the two
officers, the elder having brought him in
from the picket-line. There were also be-
yond this line of pickets, l learned, cavalry
detachment that was constantly moving up
and down the roads, between the two armies.
So / was still a long ways from our lines,
and had yet some serious obstacles to over
come. Alter gathering what information |
could from the conversation of the two Off
GERS and the men-withOut asking any ques-
ti0ns myself, at the first opportunity ask
ed the old man TO show me TO the hay-loft
as was very tired and sleepy, and must
start back home at daylight
1t wasn't exactly pleasant evening for
me, although / was so near home again, as
lay there III the hay, thinking over plan fol
the nights work. j knew that must moi
attempt to move out of the barn until every.
body was sound asleep. had too, some feal
that couple OF dogs running about tin,
house would rouse the folks when shoulC
stir. / had yet 80
BIG NIGHTS TRAMP AHEAD
of me, as my path must necessarily b,
stretched over the fields and through th,
woods in long, cireuitous detOurs, tina
would be necessary for me TO take to ge
around the road, and for this reason | wa